enter stage left
by The People Speak
Summary: The first time May realizes she's in love with Drew is when he winks at her across a brightly lit contest stage in Goldenrod. Her instinct is to smile and her cheeks tingle with warmth. Her toes curl a little in her shoes and she tugs at her sleeve and then—oh—she realizes faintly. / contestshipping ua
1. enter stage left

The first time May realizes she's in love with Drew is when he winks at her across a brightly lit contest stage in Goldenrod. Her instinct is to smile and her cheeks tingle with warmth. Her toes curl a little in her shoes and she tugs at her sleeve and then— _oh_ —she realizes faintly.

It takes every bit of courage in her body not to run off the stage in embarrassment as she knows her cheeks are appropriately flushed now. He's smirking at her and May is sure that she's going to melt into a puddle of goo.

She pinches the skin on the inside of her wrist and grounds herself. This is a contest, she's facing her opponent, and there is no way that these feelings appeared so suddenly. If it's not a new feeling then she shouldn't act like it.

May straightens her shoulders and gives Drew a brilliant smile back across the pitch. He rolls a Pokéball across his finger, but his smirk has widened, challenging her. May grips her partner's capsule and inclines her chin, accepting the challenge.

They call out their Pokémon, Masquerain and Beautifly respectively, and the battle is on.

* * *

Three hours later, May is sitting across from Solidad at a café and Drew is basically smushed against her in the tiny booth as he describes how the fangirls ambushed him just outside the contest hall.

"Maybe if you had lost then they would leave you alone," Solidad suggests jokingly.

May giggles. "No, it wouldn't help. They just get all condescending and sad when he loses."

Drew's elbow prods her lightly. "You would know, wouldn't you?"

May's cheeks flush and she stares down at the cheap linoleum table. He's speaking of the Ecruteak Incident, even though they both swore _never_ to bring up the Ecruteak Incident in front of anyone else.

"Am I missing something here?" Solidad asks, drifting an amused gaze between the two rivals.

May shifts her foot over Drew's and crushes his with her own. He hides his flinch, but his eyebrow twitches and May coughs to hide her laughter.

"Nothing," she assures Solidad. "It's nothing."

Nobody believes her, but May's fine with that. She's sitting with two of her best friends enjoying a hot chocolate after a well-fought battle. Her realization from earlier is still pressing nervously against her stomach, but sitting here with him feels normal and like it always has.

She rests her hands on the table, curled around her mug, and she listens to Solidad and Drew banter playfully about Drew's growing population of fangirls. After a couple minutes Drew's hand lands right next to hers and they brush gently.

May's stomach warms at the contact and neither of them pulls away. Solidad, for her part, barely glances at the tiny display of affection and May knows the Kanto coordinator is scared she'll cause it to stop.

May lifts her cup to her lips, breaking contact with Drew's hand, and then places her hands back down on the table, maintaining an appropriate space margin.

She may be mostly in love with him, but they're still rivals.

* * *

May is an extremely friendly and bubbly person. When she first met Drew he was antagonistic, condescending, and arrogant. As they competed together more and his respect for her grew, he started to show his true colours and May figures that it's only natural he's now one of her best friends.

They had run into each other in Olivine not long after arriving in Johto. She had realized the extent their relationship had changed since they'd met then when her first instinct was to catch up with him over lunch instead of battle him.

They were friends, she had realized. She still likes to think of the first meeting in Olivine because it was when their friendship was silly and still awkward. It's amusing to think about now, with how easily they have clicked.

Despite reservations from both sides, they share contest information and they appropriately plan out their routes so they don't meet up at every contest. Still, May looks forward to the towns where their paths are scheduled to cross because she likes talking to him.

He has a gentle and caring personality hidden underneath layers of sarcasm and practiced arrogance, but May's gotten good at peeling the other stuff away to just get the good parts. Drew doesn't seem to mind.

Their coordinating styles are still very different, but they train together and give useful advice from an outside perspective. Plus, it's always nice to know if there's some outside competition to be on the lookout for in the future.

Roserade calls another Petal Dance and May calls for Delcatty to counter it.

Everyone has seen this year's polls: May and Drew are both favourites to win the Festival.

May glances from the battle to her rival and catches the fact that his attention was already fixed on her. She winks and he laughs. The warmth curls in her stomach and May thinks that there are worse people she could be in love with.

* * *

May tucks her knees under her chin and shivers. The fire crackles merrily, but she's cold and wet and the storm is raging on outside her little cave. She had almost made it back to Olivine. Almost, being the keyword. The skies had split open like Arceus himself was angry, and the rain had poured down without end.

She had been lucky enough to stumble upon the cave when she did, and she was eternally grateful for her Blaziken's Fire typing. She surely would have frozen without him. Instead, she is sitting by a warm fire and her coat is laid out, steadily drying off. Thunder booms outside and May watches for the brilliant flash of lightning to follow.

It does, and it mysteriously illuminates a silhouette in the mouth of the cave. May is so startled she falls backwards, only barely catching herself from crashing to the floor of the cave. The figure quickly moves forwards and May is startled to see Drew. He's completely drenched, as to be expected, and he looks more than a little surprised to see her as well.

Thunder booms again and May flinches on reflex. Curiosity glitters in Drew's eyes and May drops her gaze back to the fire, embarrassed. He strides forwards, further away from the rain, and drops his bag to the ground next to hers.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here, May," he says gently.

May's lips twitch into a smile. "I wasn't planning on being here."

She draws a laugh out of him for that. "I don't think either of us is enjoying this weather. I'm guessing you were also planning on reaching Olivine before the storm started?"

She sighs. "Yes. The forecast on the news yesterday showed rain tonight, not this afternoon, but I guess Glaceon and I got a little distracted."

He nods carefully. "I guess I left a bit after you." His gaze flicks to her coat which is still wet but drying from the heat of the flames. "Do you mind if I stay with you until the rain stops?"

May nods silently. Some company would be much appreciated. Drew smiles again and starts removing his drenched layers. He drapes his coat out next to her and May admires the way the firelight catches on his face. He's certainly more attractive company than she might have hoped for.

Another crash of thunder booms and a fork of lightning splits the sky and slams into the ground close enough to the cave that the hairs on May's arms stand up. She squeaks in surprise out of reflex, and even Drew flinches a little. Still, after the glow from the lightning has faded, he is looking at her and she owes him an explanation.

"I don't like storms," she says carefully.

Drew's gaze is soft and sympathetic. He once might have teased her mercilessly about it, but they are much closer now than they used to be. And she knows that he wouldn't dream of making fun of her for a weakness now; that's just not how their friendship works anymore. Instead, he walks over and sits on the ground next to her.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm not a fan of them myself, but I got used to seeing a fair share of lightning around La Rousse, both natural and scientific experiment related." He doesn't elaborate further, but May feels already less embarrassed. He might tease her about it later, but not now, and it will always be in good spirits.

May shivers again and shrinks into herself. Drew is watching her carefully and she catches his eye. Feeling a touch brave, she slides towards him until their legs are touching. Drew's arm slides around her waist and his hand rests gently above her hip as she leans against him, letting her head fall to his shoulder. His shirt is damp, but he's still pretty warm, and next to the fire, she finally doesn't feel the chill anymore. The moment is intimate, sincere, and rare for them, but she treasures it.

She doesn't even realize that she's dozed off until she wakes up. Drew is awake, watching a still smouldering fire, but he doesn't seem to mind that May fell asleep on him. They've shifted a little and May is pressed a little more closely to his chest so that she can feel his deep even breathing and she could probably hear his heart if she tried. She feels warm and safe and a now familiar affection tugs at her heart.

"Oh, you're awake," Drew says casually. He doesn't make any move to change their position and May doesn't move either.

His hand gently brushes along the top of her hip and along her back, but he leaves it wrapped around her almost protectively. May tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear and lets her head fall back onto Drew's shoulder.

It's still raining and it's not like either of them are going anywhere any time soon.

* * *

 _Solidad knows_. She's probably always known, May decides, but the knowing smile the older coordinator wears cements the fact that nevertheless, Solidad knows.

If she had really wanted it to be a secret, May knows that she shouldn't have stuck with Drew the rest of the way to Olivine and then proceeded to tag along to his lunch date with Solidad. But, they'd been having fun and May hadn't felt like leaving her friend so soon.

After lunch, Solidad disappears to do some training and Drew offers to walk with May to the Pokémon Centre. They walk together and May admires the Oceanside town's charm. Even though Olivine was one of the first places she visited in Johto, with it having been her place of arrival, May had not actually seen that much of the city. She likes it. It reminds her a bit of Mossdeep City in Hoenn.

It's mid-afternoon when they arrive at the Centre and they head inside to check in together. The place is relatively deserted, but there are a few trainers, likely coordinators, mulling about. Drew approaches the desk first, but there's no sign of Nurse Joy and he frowns. He turns back to May, but before he can say anything, someone answers their unasked questions.

"Nurse Joy has stepped out for a bit to help out at the Gym. She'll be back in like twenty minutes." The girl that answers looks about their age and May is quick to notice that she's incredibly pretty.

"Thanks," Drew replies coolly, taking in the girl as well.

"Oh wow! I totally didn't realize it before, but you're Drew Hayden, right?" she asks, green eyes lighting up in delight.

Annoyance flashes over Drew's face and May knows it's because he thinks she's just another fangirl. "Yes, I'm Drew. And you are?"

"Allie Cartridge. I'm also a coordinator and I'm from Goldenrod. This is actually my first season travelling to contests and stuff. You're actually a big reason why I started doing that. Your battle against Robert in the Hoenn Grand Festival and against…" Allie trails off abruptly as she registers May's presence. "And you're May Maple! Wow oh my gosh, you guys are both huge inspirations for me! I got started a little bit late, but wow you guys are both amazing."

May smiles, appreciative of the praise. "Thank you! I'm glad I could inspire you to take up coordinating."

"Same goes here," Drew agrees. He looks less annoyed as it's clear that Allie isn't actually a rabid fangirl. Arceus knows that Drew doesn't need more of those.

Allie brushes a lock of her short blonde hair behind her ear and smiles shyly at Drew. "If you guys are waiting for Nurse Joy, I was wondering if you'd like to have a practice battle against me, Drew?"

Something heavy presses in May's chest as she recognizes Allie's less-than-subtle technique. The Johto coordinator is flirting with Drew and she doesn't even seem to care if everyone can tell. An awful feeling of jealousy grips May and she swallows to calm herself.

She exhales slowly. It's not like Drew is going to respond to the flirting anyways, she assures herself. Her hopes are almost immediately dashed as Allie draws one of Drew's rare smiles.

"Sure. Let's head around to the back if that's okay with you," he replies, accepting the challenge.

Allie smiles radiantly and May is again jealous of how pretty she is and how easily she is making her interest known.

"Did you want to come watch, May?" Drew asks. He's still smiling and May's heart twists at how charming he looks, but her jealousy wins out.

"No, I should call my mom. She'll have heard about the storm and I want to make sure she knows I'm alright. I'll catch up with you later," she tells him.

Drew shrugs and Allie takes his arm, smiling one last time at May before she guides the male coordinator away. May exhales slowly, trying to quell her anger and frustration. It only kind of works.

* * *

May loses to Drew in the semifinals and Allie squeaks past Solidad to meet him there. Drew wins the ribbon and May's only a little biased with her cheering which grants her a raised eyebrow from Solidad.

The victor and runner-up both leave the stage and May watched cautiously, not removing her eyes from the blonde Johtoan. Solidad chuckles and May whips around to look at her.

"Never thought I would see you in green, May," Solidad teases.

May blushes. She wants to deny it, but she knows she's been bitten by the green monster and Solidad has a knowing twinkle in her eye.

"You should go catch up to him before he leaves. He usually doesn't stick around long, you know that," Solidad reminds.

May rolls her eyes, but she stands up. "I'll catch up with you later, Solidad."

"I'm counting on it," the Kanto coordinator teases.

May makes her way through the crowds leaving the contest hall and heads for backstage. She fights the flow of patrons and eventually makes it back towards the performer's entrance. To her surprise, Allie is standing, alone, outside the doors to the locker room.

The blonde perks up when she sees May and steps forward to greet her. "That was a great contest, wasn't it?"

May smiles. "Yes, the battles were all well fought."

Allie laughs and smiles. "I guess I'll have to battle you another time. I've got work to do to beat Drew, so I know the same will be said about battling you!" The blonde winks and walks forward, heading for the exit of the contest hall.

May turns and watches her curiously. Halfway down the corridor, Allie freezes.

"Oh yeah, May! Drew's still in there, and you don't need to worry about me. I asked him to coffee and he turned me down, so I think you've got him pretty wrapped around your finger. Good luck!" With a giggle and one last wink, Allie spins on her heel and dashes the rest of the way out of the hall.

May blushes horribly as she tries to wrap her mind around the insinuations the other coordinator had made. She doesn't get much more time to think about it, as Drew emerges from the locker room at that moment.

He blinks, surprised to see May, but then he smirks at her. "So? Aren't you going to tell me how great I was?"

She shoves his shoulder, but they both laugh and a smile plays at May's lips and it doesn't disappear until she drifts off to sleep that night.

* * *

Their paths are not set to cross again until the Grand Festival. There are a few contests left, but from some skimming through contest articles online, May knows that Drew has already received his fifth ribbon. Solidad and Harley are also through to the Grand Festival, and once again, she's the last one.

Thankfully, there are enough contests left that May feels confident with her four ribbons that she'll earn her fifth in time. The Mahogany Town contest will be her first attempt at a fifth ribbon. She has already checked into her room and everything at the Pokémon Centre and May decides to do some training north of the town at the Lake of Rage. There will be plenty of open space for her to practice some tricky appeals she has been working on.

She brings Glaceon, Beautifly, and Delcatty with her. The route between the lake and the town is cute. The paths are lined with wildflowers and her Delcatty and Glaceon chase each other among them, getting in some easy play. May watches them with a grin. Beautifly is still in her Pokéball, but May knows the butterfly Pokémon will still love the wildlife.

True to her guidebook, the lake is beautiful–a glittering expanse of blue in front of her–and May smiles. There are a few people dotted around the lake, but she knows it won't be hard to find a space where she can practice some appeals. Many of the tourists or visitors are likely coordinators as well, anyways.

She sticks close to the lake's edge and wanders east around it, searching for a quiet place. She finds a small gap in the trees with a small clearing that's perfect for her. She whistles for Glaceon and Delcatty and they rush to her side. May waves them forth and they dash into the clearing.

They work on some doubles appeals as well as singles for around an hour and then May gives them a rest. Glaceon heads right to a small patch of shade and curls up to nap, but Delcatty curls up with her head in May's lap. May giggles and strokes the purple fur atop the Pokémon's head.

Suddenly, to her surprise, Beautifly springs from her Pokéball, twittering happily. May watches, alarmed, as the butterfly Pokémon floats back towards the lakeshore. Gently displacing Delcatty, May rises and follows her curious Pokémon, slightly concerned. Beautifly hasn't gone far, just a little ways back towards Mahogany Town before she had been suitably distracted.

May blinks in surprise as Beautifly chirps and swirls through the air around a very familiar looking Masquerain. She knows that Pokémon, and if it is here, then his trainer isn't far behind. True to her prediction, Drew is striding towards them, holding Masquerain's Pokéball in his left hand.

"What are you doing here?" May asks before she can stop herself.

Drew laughs. "Jeez, it's nice to see you too."

May blushes and waves her hand at him. "You know what I meant."

"Well I knew there was a contest here that you were planning on attending, so I thought I could come to give you some support so you don't feel you have to wait until the very last minute before you qualify for the Grand Festival this year," he explains. His tone is light and teasing and his green eyes are twinkling.

May shakes her head. "Typical of you, isn't it? But don't you have training to do for the Grand Festival?"

Drew shrugs. "I figured I could take a few days off. Plus, I knew Masquerain and Roserade would similarly love the lake. It is well recommended."

May notices that Roserade is wandering along a few paces behind her trainer, looking happy and relaxed. She smiles. "I guess, yeah. That does make sense."

Drew steps a bit closer to her and catches her eyes with his own. May's breath catches a little in her chest, but she wills the colour to remain out of her face. "Plus," he says gently, "am I not allowed to want to see you?"

May smiles shyly. "It's nice to see you too," she admits quietly.

There's a sharp force applied suddenly to the backs of her knees and she pitches forwards unceremoniously with a squeak. Drew's arms lock around her as he half catches her and they both fall, sort of, to the ground. May flushes scarlet and scrambles out of Drew's embrace, turning to look for the cause of the force.

Delcatty and Glaceon are dashing along the shoreline again, playing, and May shakes her head. They are obviously over-excited, but they're still adorable. Drew laughs behind her.

"Like Pokémon, like trainer," he comments. May giggles. He's not wrong.

* * *

May grins and waves to the crowd excitedly. Finally, she has all her ribbons before the last contest of the season. She's going to the Grand Festival again and this time, she feels that she actually has adequate time to prepare for it. She lifts the Mahogany Contest Ribbon a little higher and smiles wider.

Eventually, it's time for her to leave the stage, so she retreats into the locker room. To her surprise, it's not unoccupied. Drew is leaning against the far wall with his hands tucked casually into his pockets. He looks cool and composed as usual. May's chest warms. He has waited for her.

He looks up as she enters and dips his head to her in greeting. "A contest well won," he compliments. "Delcatty's appeal, in particular, was very charming." Drew pushes off the wall and walks towards her.

Once he's close enough to touch, he pulls a flawless red rose out of nowhere. He offers it to her and she takes it with a small smile. The petals are soft and pristine and she really does have no idea where he manages to pull all of these roses from. It probably has something to do with his partner Pokémon, but for now, May is content to study the beautiful flower.

"Is this for Delcatty?" she asks softly.

Drew shrugs. "I was thinking it could be for the trainer too," he admits casually. May's heart skips a beat and she knows she's blushing.

He has to be flirting with her, but she doesn't know why. Sure, she might be in love with him, but he's Drew. He's a handsome, well-known coordinator who could probably land anyone he wanted. There was no reason that he would be flirting with her. Still, May holds tight to his admission and lets it warm her to the core. Memories of Ecruteak City drift across her mind and she shoves them away.

"Lunch?" Drew offers suddenly. May blinks and realizes that it is just after lunchtime and she hadn't eaten anything since that morning before the contest started.

"Sure," she agrees with a smile.

They walk towards the entrance of the contest hall together but Drew freezes when they're part of the way there. It takes May a second longer, but she hears what caused Drew to panic. High pitched, loud female voices are heading in their direction.

"I know I saw Mr. Drew! He went this way!" the first voice exclaims. Drew winces.

"He wasn't even in this contest though!" a second girl argues.

"No, I saw him too! Keep looking!" a third girl insists.

Drew looks at May helplessly. She sighs. She has no desire to be cornered by Drew's fangirls again. It's happened more times than she would like to admit. She glances around and her eye catches on a small storage closet.

The Ecruteak Incident flashes vibrantly through her mind and May shoves it away. She grabs Drew's sleeve and yanks him towards the closet. Thankfully it's unlocked and they step inside together, Drew closing the door behind him. The closet is illuminated by only tiny strips of light from around the door, and May had definitely underestimated its size.

She and Drew are basically chest to chest. May holds her breath and tries to listen for the hoard of fangirls that had been chasing them down only moments prior, but all she can hear is her own racing heart. She glances up at Drew and immediately regrets that decision.

He's looking at her, and the way the light is dancing across his face makes her stomach twist. He's certainly beautiful, there's no denying that. He smiles when she looks at him and May's heart clenches when she sees that his dimples are out in full force.

"So, Ecruteak again, huh?" he teases.

May flushes. "Not quite," she reminds. It had been his decision in Ecruteak, whereas this had been hers. Plus, back then, _he_ had been saving _her_ from his fangirls. Still, they didn't talk about Ecruteak.

"Close enough," he comments softly.

May blinks as she realizes that he's getting closer. She almost doesn't react at first when he kisses her, but then it's like someone pressed a hot coil to her stomach so her body jumpstarts and she kisses him back. Her eyes flutter shut and Drew's hands find placements on her waist and against her jaw. She feels warm and safe and completely natural in his hold.

After a moment, Drew breaks the kiss, but he doesn't let May go very far. They are still just a small distance apart and May is holding her breath. Drew's eyes keep flickering to her lips, but he is distracted by a noise outside their tiny closet.

It's his fangirls, amassed in a small army, declaring that he must have left the contest hall and that they should move on since he clearly wasn't there anymore. May exhales slowly. At least they were leaving. Still, that leaves her with the problem of the fact that her rival had just kissed her and is looking like he might do it again.

May carefully finds his hands with her own and detaches them from where they'd found purchase. She lingers in his touch for another moment before she steps back, letting a sliver of light glow across her face so he can see her fully.

"Well, I guess we're safe now. And maybe we should take a raincheck on that lunch," she says nervously.

Drew's lips twitch into a half-smirk as he assesses her nervousness. "I'll hold you to that," he says calmly. He steps back from her and opens the door of the closet.

Light floods in and May blinks it away. Drew steps into the hallway and smiles at her one last time. "I'll see you at the Grand Festival, then." He turns to walk away, but pauses. "You should blush more often. It's cute."

All the blood in her body rushes to her face, but he's already leaving. May is left standing in the doorway of a tiny closet, clutching a perfect red rose, staring after her main rival with whom she's now definitely certain was flirting with her.

* * *

May wants to drop her head onto the table. She's less concerned with what the people around her will think because the look on Solidad's face makes her want to bury herself for a hundred years. She stays still in her chair instead and just avoids eye contact with the Kanto Coordinator.

"May," Solidad says finally. "You called me and said you wanted to talk about Drew. Are we going to talk, or should we both get back to training?"

May lets out a deep breath. She needs an opinion on this, and Solidad is undoubtedly the best person to talk to about it. The café she's chosen is slightly obscure and May has been careful to note that no one seems to be listening to their conversation. "A few months ago, back in Goldenrod, I came to a realization," she admits.

Solidad raises an eyebrow. "A realization?" she echoes, curious.

"I'm in love with Drew," May admits. The words feel foreign and final in her mouth, but they are the truth and she can't take them back.

Solidad looks slightly taken aback, but she relaxes into a more neutral expression quickly. "Well, May, sweetie, I hate to tell you this, but everyone else kind of already knew that."

May blushes. "I know. But, my problem is, I think Drew knows too."

"Has he given you a reason to believe so? Drew is a smart guy, but he's pretty oblivious when it comes to people's feelings about him."

Ecruteak. Goldenrod. Route 39. Olivine. Mahogany. The instances of Drew's seemingly innocent affection flood to mind and May bites her lip. "Yes," she admits. She looks straight at the other coordinator. "Solidad, do you think that Drew is in love with me?"

Solidad's eyes twinkle. "Well, I don't want to put words in anyone's mouth. It's like I told you last year, Drew has a special place in his mind for you. That's really all I can say, but if you tell me what he's done, then maybe I can offer a little more insight. I've known Drew for a long time."

May feels heat prickle in her cheeks. She decides to explain the easiest, and most obvious of the bunch. "He kissed me in Mahogany Town after I won the Mahogany Town Contest."

Solidad's eyebrows shoot up. "He did what?"

May stares at the vinyl tabletop between them and doesn't repeat herself. There's no need to. Solidad simple needs a second to process the fact that Drew, the one who was usually so protective of his feelings, had been so open.

"And that was the first time?" Solidad presses carefully.

May hesitates. "No," she admits. She raises her gaze slowly to Solidad's. "I don't suppose anyone has told you of the Ecruteak Incident, have they?"

* * *

With Solidad's wisdom weighing heavily on her mind, May searches for Drew. The arena is packed with coordinators and almost all eyes are set on the stage where assignments will be given out for the Appeal Round as well as where the speakers will present for the Opening Ceremonies.

She finds him relatively quickly and he smiles when he spots her in return. She steps to his side. He tries to say something, but she can't hear him over the roar of the crowd. She just shrugs and taps her ear in response and he laughs. Summoning a bit of courage, May slides her hand into his own. Drew raises an eyebrow, but he doesn't say anything else.

May holds his hand for the ceremonies and relishes in the warmth it provides as the fireworks light up the sky above the stadium.

In the rush afterwards, they're separated. May decides simply to head back to the PokéCentre and get some sleep. She'll see him later, and they both know it.

* * *

The Festival proceeds as usual and May nails her first appeal. She doesn't cross paths with Drew, as his appeals are in different venues than hers, but she watches him on the TVs present in the waiting room.

He looks sharp, as he usually does, but there's a glint in his eyes that is burning stronger than the competition from a usual contest. He's in this to win it. May smiles as Roserade executes a perfect Petal Dance-Solar Beam combination.

In love with him she may be, but rivals they still are, and she wants this one.

May grips Ampharos's Pokéball a little tighter. Her new partner will be making his debut on the Grand Festival stage and she's got something special planned for her second appeal. A tribute to her time as a coordinator, she calls it. A revival of everything she has loved about coordinating.

She takes the stage when she's called and calls forth Wartortle and Ampharos. The Water Type and Electric Type are polar opposites, but May has fallen in love with the chemistry they have.

She starts simple, with a few flashy collisions between elements that rain sparkles over the stage, but then she twirls in sync with her partners and flicks her wrist to launch a bright pink frisbee over the stage. Wartortle catches it in a jet of water and Ampharos sends it flying up with a Brick Break attack.

The appeal develops and May throws in flairs of her old style, of Ash's influence, and a clever move she'd borrowed from Dawn too. There are specks of Harley in the synchronized steps Wartortle and Ampharos take, and Solidad in the strength and agility of two normally underestimated Pokémon.

And finally, there is Drew. In every move she makes, and that her partners take, she has embodied Drew's confidence and his elegance. And when Wartortle sends spinning bubbles wrapping around the stage, May grins. It's exactly as Masquerain has done. Ampharos's Thunderbolt sends them bursting apart in streams of colour to end the appeal, similar to the way that Drew uses Masquerain and Roserade so flawlessly.

She bows and she's trembling with happiness and adrenaline at the end of her performance. This has been her journey and it has led her here. She returns her partners and kisses their Pokéballs tenderly. They had done amazing.

Later, when the scores are revealed, May's appeal gains the strongest individual score and she feels tears of pride and joy spring to her eyes. Drew and Solidad still manage to squeak past her into higher positions with combined appeal scores, but May has the single highest appeal score and it feels worth it. She returns to her room, giddy and pleased with herself.

Sitting on her bedside table is a flawless red rose. May doesn't question its arrival, but she hurries over to it and studies the note left underneath the beautiful flower.

' _It's for your Wartortle and Ampharos.'_

The note is simple and so purely Drew that she laughs. A festival and a rivalry to remember, indeed.

* * *

Passion and fire flow through her veins. May wins her first few rounds of battles with power and grace. Opposite her, Drew does the same. Harley and Solidad also progress with ease, and May realizes that her path to the final is paved with more difficulty than anyone else's seems to be.

She will face Harley next, and the victor will likely face Solidad in the semi-finals and then there is the Grand Festival Finals.

She's alone in the waiting room, waiting to be called to the stage for her battle with Harley when the door swings open behind her. She spins and sees Drew and she's completely startled. She has no idea how he eluded security, but he's standing before her and she's seeing him for the first time since the opening ceremonies.

"Break a leg," he says teasingly. "Though maybe not literally. It would be nice if you could stand when we face off for the Ribbon Cup."

She raises an eyebrow. "You've got an awful lot of confidence in me, and in yourself."

He steps closer to her. "Tell me I'm wrong then. You know Harley, and I know you have a few tricks up your sleeve to beat Solidad. I'm not worried."

May raises her chin. They are basically nose to nose. "I'll see you in the finals then," she says confidently.

He smirks. "Indeed."

The intercom crackles and May is being summoned to the pitch. Drew takes a small step back, to allow her to leave, but she hesitates.

Forcing away rational thought, she steps forward and presses her lips lightly to his. She pulls away after a second, smiling and steps back. "For luck," she says.

Drew is smiling and May turns and walks out onto the stage.

* * *

Harley falls to his knees and he returns his Banette and Cacturne reluctantly. May stands tall and waits for a second longer before she returns Delcatty and Glaceon. She has won, and the feeling of victory curls warmly in her stomach. Harley is scowling, as he is want to do, but May is smiling. His viciousness and sabotage have given her the strength to overcome him when it matters and she has won.

She waves to the crowd before retreating off the stage. There is still much to be done before her next battle, which as she predicted, will be against Solidad. The Kanto Coordinator has several seasons of experience on May, and she knows her style.

Plus, she has a transfer to make. She's bringing in the cavalry.

* * *

There is confusion rippling through the stadium as May calls out her partners. Her chin is lifted confidently as she assesses Solidad's reaction. Her opponent looks rightfully skeptical and she tilts her head at May, looking for an explanation.

Beautifly and Munchlax are a strange match, but she has brought them with confidence into the battle. They deserve this.

"I've learned a lot this season," May says firmly. "Being a Top Coordinator isn't all about the perfectly practiced team and combinations. It's about heart and drive and inspiration, all of which I'm sure you know a lot about. So I figured, if I want to become a Top Coordinator, then I need to beat you with Munchlax, who couldn't beat you last time, and with Beautifly, who is apparently my contest darling. Because then this time, I will have earned this."

Solidad dips her head in respect. "A righteous thought process May, but you forget that I know you better than you think. You want to fight power with power, and I commend you for that, but my Slowbro and Lapras have been training for this for a long time."

May takes a deep breath and sizes up her match up. "Bring it on."

* * *

May is pacing in the hallway. She checks her PokéGear one last time. There are only seven minutes until they'll be called to the stage. He's late, and he's probably not coming. She exhales slowly and turns to head to the waiting room.

"May!" he calls suddenly. She spins and sees that he's jogging towards her.

He basically runs into her, but he catches her face in his hands and he kisses her. May kisses him back and lets warmth curl through her veins. They pull apart and Drew rests his forehead against hers.

"Sorry, I'm late. Fangirls, you know?" he says breathlessly.

May laughs and touches his hand with her own reassuringly. "Of course," she agrees.

Before either party can say more, the intercom interrupts them, again.

" _May Maple to the left entrance, Drew Hayden to the right entrance."_ The instruction repeats a couple times and Drew chuckles lightly.

"I guess we should go," he says.

"Yeah," May agrees. She closes the gap between their lips one last time and smiles at him. Drew smiles back and she admires his dimples for one moment longer. "For luck," she says.

Drew is the first to step back, but he doesn't take his eyes off of her. "And May? Whatever happens, this won't change."

Her heart flips in her chest. "Whatever happens," she echoes. "And we'll see if you're singing the same tune when I'm holding a Ribbon Cup."

He smirks and it's familiar and she feels at home. "You have to win first," he taunts lightly. May spins on her heel and heads for the stage. She can feel his eyes on her as she goes.

Rivals? Yes. Friends? Yes. Lovers? Maybe not yet, but one of them will walk away from the stage a champion and Drew's word's linger with her: whatever happens, nothing changes.

She can live with that.

* * *

 **A/N:** So I'm not dead. And I wrote almost seven thousand words of contestshipping fluff. Because that's what happens when you're concussed I guess. Oh well. Anyways, I'll let you guys speculate about ~The Ecruteak Incident~. He definitely kissed her, but maybe she kissed him? Who knows... Only me. I might be compelled to write it later, so we'll see.

\- Nicole


	2. The Ecruteak Incident

When May arrives in Ecruteak City, the sun is still high in the sky. It's a nice change from many of the later arrivals she's been having since travelling on her own. Without Ash's drive to reach the next city and the next gym as fast as possible, May has found herself distracted by training, relaxing and wildlife between towns and she often arrives just as night is falling.

It's just after noon as she sets foot on the cobblestone streets that are a tribute to the older days. She notes, with interest, that many of the buildings are constructed in older, more traditional styles and with more muted colour palettes. The guidebook that she carries on hand tells her that it is out of respect for the Bell Tower that stands just to the north of the city.

Her first impression of the city is quaint: it's smaller and less bustling than many of the other cities she's visited in Johto so far, but it is definitely more pedestrian friendly. There are definitely still a fair share of coordinators and contest fans mulling about with the contest being two days away. The cobblestone streets are obviously not meant for cars, and the small market kiosks lining the streets further encourage walking over driving.

To the north, May observes the old Bell Tower rising on the horizon and she makes a mental note to visit it. Following her map towards the Pokémon Centre, she walks past the city's gym. The building is like the rest of the city, painted in muted colours, but there are cheers from within and May smiles. Sometimes she misses watching Gym Battles. Ash certainly had a flair for making them interesting. Max was leaving in September, so maybe she should make some time to watch a few of his battles.

There are large maple trees on several street corners with their big green leaves open to the sky. It reminds her of Petalburg and the tree that's on the corner near the gym. This part of the city, May knows, will be exceptionally beautiful in the fall when the leaves change colour and start to fall. She hopes she'll have the opportunity to return for it, but her carefully planned schedule–Drew's idea, not hers–says that this contest in Ecruteak is the only one for the season. The city wasn't much for pageantry–much more about tradition.

She spots the crowd about a block from the PokéCentre and her heart sinks in her chest. It's a group of, mostly, young teenage girls, some older and some younger than herself. None of the girls in particular are familiar, but the hunches of their backs and the high pitched giggles are all too familiar.

 _Fangirls_.

Of course there are fangirls here. There is a contest in two days and there are some higher-profile coordinators entering. Plus, this is one of the larger cities in the region so the increased population of fans also makes sense. May walks hesitantly towards the Centre, just hoping not to get mauled by excited girls.

To her surprise, they don't seem to pay her any attention as she approaches. They are much more interested in whoever is inside the Pokémon Centre as displayed by the way they keep glancing in the windows and giggling. Unfortunately, their crowd extends to block the front entrance which means May will have to wade right through them.

She takes a deep breath to steel her nerves and pushes through the first few, excusing herself politely. "Excuse me, just need to pass by," she murmurs, trying to move unseen.

She gets almost to the door when one fan turns and stares her directly in the face. "Hey!" the girl exclaims, "What right do you have moving us from our view?"

May sighs. "Sorry, I was just trying to get into the Pokémon Centre. I need to register for the contest."

"Register?" another girl pipes up, sounding scandalized. "You can't compete! You can't be given the opportunity to win."

May frowns. "Well, that's not how coordinating works. The best coordinator in the contest will win the ribbon."

The first girl put her hands on her hips and gives May a condescending once-over. "Well that's obviously not going to be you, so maybe you should just run along."

May's anger bubbles up. No one gets to talk to her like that, except maybe Drew, but he's always teasing when he does. Before she can burst with frustration, one of the other girls stumbles away from the window, squealing dramatically.

The doors to the Pokémon Centre slide open and all the girls fall completely silent, staring in awe at the person who emerges from inside. May just exhales in relief. Out of all the people, he's probably not a bad one to save her from this situation, even if he'll never let her live it down again.

Drew looks puzzled by the situation, but he walks out towards May anyways. The girls part like the sea for him and he stands next to his rival, glancing at the girl who had been giving May spite.

"Maple, you made it before dark for once. I guess I can call off that search party," he jokes. His tone is easygoing and relaxed. He seems to be completely ignoring the fans and is instead focused on May.

Smugness curls in her belly as May smiles at him. "Haha, Drew. I know you didn't beat me here by much. You were coming from Blackthorn, weren't you? I was only in Violet City, my journey was much shorter."

He shrugs. "I still beat you here, and I'm all registered for the contest. You should do the same. We don't want a repeat of the Len Town Contest do we?"

May frowned. She didn't need reminding of her first blunder of the season. She had forgotten how busy the first contest of the season was and had arrived too late to register, leaving Drew with only Solidad as an obstacle for the ribbon. He had won and he still wouldn't let her live it down, even as they planned an appropriate route through the region, determining at which contests they would butt heads.

"I'm getting there," she says after a brief pause.

He laughs and just gestures back to the door. "Come on then."

May steps towards Drew, and freedom from the swarm of fangirls, when one pipes up. "But, Mr. Drew! How can you encourage competition?"

Drew frowns at the girls. "I've asked you all already to leave me alone, I don't want to get Officer Jenny involved. May is my rival, and my friend and none of you bear that distinction, so you should all scram before I report you for harassment."

It takes a minute, but the gravity of his words sinks in and the girls start to leave, but not without glancing back at him as they go. Drew sighs and rubs his temples.

"Let's get out of here, please," he says, annoyance still heavy in his voice.

May laughs. "Oh but Drew, you have to tell me more," she teases. He levels a hard look at her and May laughs again. "I'm only kidding. I find them incredibly annoying as well, don't worry."

They walk into the Pokémon Centre as Drew complains about how they've been following him around since he arrived in town. May giggles. She has her own set of fans, but none of them are ever as bad as the cult of fangirls that follow her rival around.

* * *

May does end up registering for the contest in time, and the morning of, she heads down to the lobby to get breakfast before heading over to the hall. Drew is sitting at one of the tables in the cafeteria with an empty plate and a steaming, half-full cup of coffee in front of him. He's flipping through a newspaper and only looks half-awake.

May's heart tightens as she watches him. It's strangely domestic and almost cute. She blushes and shakes off the feeling, heading to gather her own plate of breakfast. After taking a generous helping–she's hungry, there's no excuse–she heads back towards where he was sitting. May places her plate down and slides in across from him.

He glances up only briefly to acknowledge her presence. "May," he greets casually, before returning his attention to the article he's reading.

She takes a couple bites of her food before curiosity wins out. "What are you reading about?"

He puts the paper down and slides it towards her. She notes the headline: ' _Excitement Continues Around Conclusion of Wallace Cup in Sinnoh_ '. May smiles. She skims the article briefly. It talks about the contest, the venue, and her and Dawn's battle in the final. Curiously, she notes the fact that Johto and Hoenn were both bidding for the next Wallace Cup.

"It seems the coordinating world was pretty impressed by your new style out there. Even if you did manage to lose to a rookie," Drew comments, stealing his newspaper back.

May rolls her eyes. "Dawn was good. And besides, her mom was a Top Coordinator before either of our times so she's grown up around it. I almost won the Violet City Contest after I got back anyway. My slump is over, we both know that."

Drew shrugs. "We'll see today, I guess."

May sticks her tongue out at her rival, who shares a rare smile at her childish action, and tucks back into her food. The whole situation is friendly and calm even though in a couple of hours they could be going head to head for what would be both of their fourth ribbons. Despite May's apparent slump, Drew was equal to her in ribbons, though May conceded that he had entered far fewer contests and was spending more time on individual training.

Still, getting a foot up on him would be a welcome change since he always seemed to be one step ahead of her.

* * *

As the appeal scores are revealed, May takes one of Drew's telling characteristics and spins it back on him. _She smirks at him_. She's in first, and he's close behind her, only 0.3 points back, in second place. They're both comfortably through to the battle round, but May's ahead this time.

It feels good, especially since May knows that Drew's appeals and combinations are generally his strongest points, whereas hers lay more in powerful battling, something she had picked up from Ash. Still, Drew was notoriously good at spinning people's power back on themselves to earn massive points, and he was also incredibly strong.

The bracket is revealed and to May's surprise, she and Drew are not opposite each other. In fact, if they both win their first battles, they'll be facing off in the semi-finals. She casts him a surprised glance and he shrugs in return. May laughs. She's still going to beat him–that's her plan.

* * *

As they take the stage for the battles, cheers spring up around them, but Drew's cheering section is loud and very female. Drew smirks and flicks his hair. The crowd screams in appreciation and May smothers a snort. At least his fangirls will get to enjoy his showboating for a little while.

The announcers call for them to choose their Pokémon, and May watches as Drew calls out Flygon. The Dragon Type is one of his strongest, and May knows there is no going easy here with him. Still, she has an advantage in this case.

"Glaceon! Take the stage!" She spins elegantly and tosses the capsule containing the Fresh Snow Pokémon outwards.

Drew visibly blanches at the sight of her new team member. Though he'd been encouraging of May when she had gone to Sinnoh, she knows that now he's realizing that Glaceon places her at a significant type advantage over many of his Pokémon, especially Flygon. May lifts her chin confidently.

The timer starts, and Drew wins first move.

* * *

As far as contest battles go, besides her stint in the Wallace Cup, her battle against Drew has been the fiercest she's fought in Johto. He always has tricky combinations ready to counter, even if she pushes forwards with strength. Still, this time, she had been better. Glaceon has squeaked her through to the finals and May is elated.

There are despondent cries from the crowd: Drew's devastated fangirls and May glances at her rival again. He returns Flygon and nods to her, conceding defeat respectfully. She was better today, and they both know it.

* * *

In the end, May makes a blunder, choosing Beautifly in the finals to match up against a Quilava. With both a speed and type disadvantage, she puts up a fight, but in the end, a Johtoan coordinator named Crystal eventually wins the Ecruteak Ribbon. She's not overly disappointed.

She can use the battle with Crystal to create new defensive combinations, especially against moves like Aerial Ace and Swift that never miss. Plus, she reminds herself, she beat Drew. That's always a plus.

May calls back Beautifly and heads backstage. The locker room has cleared out, as expected and May gathers her stuff. It will be a few more minutes before people start leaving as Crystal will still need to be presented with her ribbon. May doesn't see a reason to stick around. She's kind of hungry again and is interested in trying out some of the street food she'd seen over the last couple days. A treat sounds nice, for both her and her Pokémon.

She slings her bag up onto her shoulder and exits the room, heading for the main entrance. She only gets a little ways before she notices that Drew is striding towards her with purpose. She blinks at him, but he looks frustrated.

"Drew?" she questions, but he ignores her, basically grabbing her around the waist and spinning her around.

They walk at a brisk speed past the locker room, back towards the stage. Drew doesn't say anything, but relief breaks into his face as he spots a janitor's closet off to the side. He yanks open the door and herds May inside without breaking stride. The door shuts behind him and May gives her rival an incredulous look.

"What are you doing?" she demands.

"Shh," he hushes her urgently.

The closet is dark, but not overly small so they each have personal space. May still has no idea what has gotten into Drew, but she tries to study him in the dim light. He looks frustrated, but she doesn't think it's from the contest. This annoyance stems from other causes.

Many of her silent questions are quickly answered as she hears footsteps pound through the hallway. She raises an eyebrow at Drew and he just lets out a long sigh.

"I know he went this way. And if we can't find him, then we can surely give a piece of our mind to that girl who beat him," a snarky voice exclaims.

May blinks. It's the voice of the girl from outside the PokéCentre a couple days ago. Drew had been escaping from his fangirls and he'd managed to save her some hassle too by hiding her as well since it seems they blamed him for his loss in the contest.

"What's the point?" another girl complains. "He lost. He's probably not sticking around. There's no point in us being here if he isn't."

A few other girls agree, and to May's delight and Drew's relief, the girls relent in their search. To be safe, they give it almost a minute of silence outside the closet before they emerge and scan the hallways, ensuring their safety.

When they know they're not going to be hassled, May bursts out laughing. "Wow, they're even worse about your losses than you are."

Drew runs a hand through his hair. "It's annoying. Don't laugh at me, if this was you, you'd be the same."

May shrugs. "It's not me though, so I get to laugh. I did beat you today," she reminds.

Drew rolls his eyes. "You still lost."

May sticks out her tongue. "I beat you though, so it's fine."

Drew starts to walk towards the entrance to the contest hall, pausing briefly to let May catch up to him. They walk side-by-side towards the entrance. They're almost to open air when Drew hesitates.

"There's a festival tonight, for several reasons, mostly Johto culture stuff, but I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?" he asks carefully. "There will be lots of food, if you were wondering."

May smiles brightly. "Sounds like fun! I'll meet you in the lobby at seven?" she asks.

Drew nods. "Seven."

* * *

"Did we lose them?" May asks, gasping for breath. She tugs at the hemline of her dress and scans the crowd around them.

Drew scowls bitterly. "For now, anyway," he mutters.

May sighs. Everything had been going great. The festival was brightly lit compared the usual muted nature of Ecruteak City. There were sparklers and fireworks and dancers in the streets. Lanterns were hung from storefronts and homes and music twinkled through the whole town. The usual market stalls were bustling with life and energy and true to recommendation, the food had been incredibly excellent.

They had been in the middle of enjoying a demonstration by the Kimono Girls, something that was surely inspiring combinations for both of them, when the disruption had started. A couple people had begun whispering around them, assessing them as competitors from the contest that had happened earlier.

Both Hoenn Coordinators had tried to ignore it, but it quickly escalated as Drew's fangirls began to appear. Drew had grabbed May by the hand and pulled her away, down an alley as they ran to try to escape the crowd. They had used the bustle of the festival to hide their escape, but still, it wouldn't be long until they were found again.

"We really can't catch a break with these girls, can we?" May grumbles.

Drew laughs and she glances at him. Under the moonlight and the light of the lanterns, his hair and eyes are almost glowing. Plus, she catches the shadows of dimples in his cheeks from his natural smile and May's stomach twists. He looks gorgeous and she's paralyzed by her realization.

He's wearing dressy clothes–just as she is wearing a nice dress–for the occasion and he looks very sharp. She inhales quickly and tears her eyes from her rival. She can't find him attractive. They are rivals. Sure, they're mostly friends too, but he's her rival first. Competition over attraction, she tries to will herself to believe.

"I am both really sorry, and really not, because that was honestly kind of fun," Drew admits. He smooths out his already perfect hair. "Well, I'd imagine that we have a couple minutes before they figure out where we've gone, so let's keep exploring, shall we?"

He offers her his arm and before she can talk herself out of it, she's smiling and sliding her elbow into his.

They stroll out onto a main street again and May is quickly distracted by a cute vendor's stall with several adorable accessories for sale. She drags Drew over and spends a little while chatting with the owner and browsing the wares. She steals a glance back at Drew, and he's already watching her and she blushes.

"I saw green hair go this way!" someone yells.

Both coordinators flinch. May glances around, but she can't pinpoint where the fan was, so she looks at Drew desperately. He looks a little pained and May lets out a short huff of air. She grabs a hat from the table of wares in front of them, apologises to the store owner and drags Drew towards another nearby gap between buildings.

She shoves the hat on his head to hide his hair and spins his back to the street so they are facing each other, and are much to close for May's sanity. She feels heat rush to her cheeks as she makes eye contact with a startled Drew. There are more cries from the street of people that have seen Drew, and May is desperate.

She places a hand on either side of Drew's face and pulls it down towards her. He's startled, but he doesn't resist as she brings him into a chaste kiss. For a brief moment, there is nothing, just their lips awkwardly pressed together as they pray no one recognizes them. But then there is a gentle pressure against her mouth and May almost jumps.

She kissed Drew, but now he's _actually kissing her_.

She manages to kick her brain awake enough to kiss him back for a few seconds before he breaks away, breathing deeply. His green eyes are illuminated by the lantern over her head and the hat looks stupid on him, but he's incredibly beautiful and he's looking at her with a mix of surprise and pleasure on his face.

May blinks, breaking their staring contest and they both note that the fangirls have moved on and they're alone. She slowly peels her hands from Drew, feeling heat swarm into her face. He's a little flushed himself, but May drops her eyes to the ground quickly.

He coughs awkwardly and she lets her eyes drift up warily. He's smiling, despite his best efforts, and he steps back from her a little. "Let's just agree to," he trails off carefully.

May laughs and it comes out rattled and nervous. "Never talk about this again?"

He laughs too. "Sounds good."

May catches Drew's eyes drifting to her lips one last time before he steps further away from her. A vibrant firework explodes over Drew's head and May giggles one last time.

It's a fitting night, she thinks to herself. But, they're never going to talk about this ever– _EVER_ –again.

* * *

 **Thanks to some people on Tumblr for pushing me until I wrote this!**


End file.
